Mistress of the Fellowship (LOTR)

* 65 * Help Me Hold On

When the meeting had adjourned Kordelia retreated back into the woods where she retrieved Epona and brought her back into the white city where for what would be the last time Kordelia prepared for war.

Following the examination of her weapons once again Kordelia prepared herself and Epona in paint with the feathers of Celegorn along with the blood of her loved ones finished with the bathing in the smoke before she mounted the valiant mare.

Walking the streets with Éomer on one side and Legolas on the other, people gasped and awed at the sight of the warrior woman who seemed to be from a different world as all the men around her excluding Legolas wore armor. She rode with pride and held her head high as she rode. She was proud of herself for being strong enough to look past her own bitterness and hatred for men to fight for men, she was proud of the fearless mare she rode with, proud of the beautiful young hawk who perched in her shoulder with fierce eyes that chilled anyone to the bone who dared to look into those menacing eyes. She was a proud warrior and would die as one.

The time for vengeance had passed and it seemed as though the woman with it's bloodlust had left with the spirits who had distressed her for so many years. The woman now was the Last of the Wilds and was proud to lay her life down for Middle Earth.

Thoughts and hauntings of Frodo no longer plagued her mind for now she accepted that it was out of her control. She had to trust in the hobbit to succeed. She had to grasp onto hope.

Riding toward the Black Gates had an eerie feeling which Kordelia knew was because she was to be in the presence of an evil greater than anything she had ever faced. She was ready and anxious to do what she could to destroy this evil by the name Sauron and she was prepared to die trying.

Standing in front of the gates Aragorn nodded to Kordelia and she, Eomer, Gandalf, Eomer, Aragorn, and Legolas with Gimli, rode forth to call upon Sauron.

When the gates opened a messenger emerged with only a mouth causing Kordelia to reach for her sword however Aragorn gently touched her wrist and looked at her with pleading eyes which asked for her to let him handle it.

The messenger seemed to be the mouth of Sauron and from the moment he began to speak Kordelia wished to slay the monster, cut his head clean off and see how well he talked then. Insults of asking who wished to treaty with Sauron, taunting Gandalf with a suit of mithril she knew to be Frodo's and on and on the mouth went until Aragorn rode forth and the beast began to insult the man and Kordelia felt her hand coming closer and closer to her blade again but then she witnessed something that put a cruel and proud smile on her face.

Aragorn did just what Kordelia wished to do. Aragorn decapitated the vile being! For the first time Kordelia found herself wanting to kiss him for the action.

As if in answer the black gates began to open more to reveal the vast army.

Aragorn commanded that they retreat in which they turned their mounts and returned to the ranks, except for Kordelia. For a moment she stayed and stared at the vile creatures whom snarled and growled although she could see the fear in their dark eyes.

She smirked at them which caused a few to shudder and take a step back into the beast behind them and then Epona snorted at them and even more jumped back.

"RYKER!" Aragorn shouted.

Kordelia tapped her heels against Epona's side and Epona pulled her head back and made fast back steps as she and her rider stared at the army.

Arargorn gave her a longing and sorrowed look before he regained composure and courage and rallied the men of the west before the evil army began to surround their small army.

The eye taunted Aragorn and his eyes seemed to glisten as he looked back at them and said, "For Frodo."

And with that the men, hobbits, wizard, dwarf, and elf roared and began to charge on foot.

Again Kordelia hung back and sashayed toward the fray with a smirk on her lips until her blade connected with the first body and like a wicked angel of grace she pirouetted and once again performed her spectacular waltz of warfare against the shocking number.

This time though fate had a different plan.

The fight was fierce and Kordelia fought without fear as the orcs came at her by the dozen in hope for the honor of slaying the Last of the Wilds and putting a final end to the warriors' rein but not a blade came near her flesh for her swords were like lightning deflecting every blow they sent at her until a coward amongst them deployed a vile plan.

Kordelia was fighting off six orcs when the arrow was targeted on her without her knowing, however another had.

"NO!" he screamed as he threw the dagger he held dear to him which imbedded itself into the Orc's neck but it was an instant too late.

The creature's arrow had not found its mark however it did find its way deep into the woman's flesh where it would do much damage and kill her with time but not instantly like planned. This time the pain was great and she knew it had done extensive internal damage making her gasp causing a swarm of orcs to pounce.

Every man, elf, wizard, and dwarf saw the warrior queen fall and for an instant everything froze on the battlefield before Legolas, Eomer and Aragorn shot toward their lady but before any of them could reach her she shoved off a couple of the monsters as blood trickled from the side of her mouth, across her left cheekbone, and from her hair line but she was furious and alive.

Legolas was the first there and with one kick, three orcs flew away from Kordelia and he held a hand out to help her to her feet but as their eyes met she wordlessly told him that she could not stand.

Legolas fought off the monsters around her until Eomer, Gandalf, and Eomer came to her aide. Legolas knelt beside her. Looking into her eyes he could feel her pain and emotion wanted to break him down as he took her hand in his, something he never thought would come to pass.

This was perhaps the closest he had been to her and the first real contact they had ever had and a battle raged in both their minds while the all too real battle panned out around them.

Kordelia finally spoke between clenched teeth as her bloody hand squeezed his, "Pull it out!" she hissed.

He looked harder into her eyes and she stayed focused on his, seeming to relax a bit as if his presence were the only thing to ease her troubles. He wanted to stay in this moment, wanted to die with her holding his hand as they got lost in each other's eyes. So many undiscovered riches were betrayed in her eyes, he wanted to explore those mysteries this woman possessed but he knew what he had to do.

Loudly he spoke in a tone that was not a command but rather a determined knowing, "This day, I will hear the Alexzandron cry of freedom!"

She was shocked by this as her mouth opened a bit but was quickly closed as a muffled howl of pain momentarily sounded inside of her as he jerked the arrow from her flesh.

Her grip was close to breaking bones in his hand but she did not break eye contact with him and it sent a bolt of lightning through his body as she softly pleaded with glistening eyes, "Help me hold on."

Legolas nearly forgot about the battle raging around them when she said this with her golden eyes which appeared like the sun in the dawn rather than the fierce gold which made men and beasts cower in fear.

He gave her a slight grin and replied, "Always."

She gave a nod and together they were able to get her to her feet where a barrage of orcs awaited them. That fierce Alexzandron Legolas knew all too well reappeared as if the arrow had never pierced her.

Onward they raced back into the fray.

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